Description
Post Doctoral.Post Doctoral.Associate
Med-Medicine - Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh - (26001856)
Postdoctoral Associate #1 Benam Lab Human Lung Models and HostPathogen Interactions
The Benam Lab (https://www.benamlab.net/) at the University of Pittsburgh Departments of Medicine and Bioengineering is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to join an interdisciplinary research program focused on developing and applying advanced human-relevant in vitro models to study hostpathogen interactions and therapeutic responses. The successful Candidate will contribute to cutting-edge research at the interface of tissue engineering, infectious disease modeling, and translational biomedical science.
This position emphasizes the use of microphysiological systems (Organs-on-Chips), particularly in the context of lung, to investigate infection dynamics, barrier function, multicellular biology, and responses to therapeutic interventions under controlled experimental conditions.
Responsibilities
The Postdoctoral Associate will play a key intellectual and technical role in the research program. Responsibilities include:
Design and execute experimental studies using advanced human in vitro tissue models, including establishment and maintenance of differentiated epithelial cultures
Evaluate cellular responses in Organs-on-Chips under physiologically relevant conditions
Perform and optimize assays to assess hostpathogen interactions, inflammatory signaling, and therapeutic responses
Contribute to development and refinement of experimental workflows to enhance reproducibility and robustness
Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to integrate findings across complementary model systems and analytical platforms
Maintain accurate and detailed documentation of experimental procedures and results
Analyze and interpret data, and contribute to preparation of manuscripts, reports, and grant applications
Mentor trainees and assist in training of laboratory personnel as needed
Qualifications
Required:
Ph.D. in Lung Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Cell Biology, Physiology, or a related field
Experience with primary human cell culture, in particular lung cells
Strong background in experimental design and in vitro model development
Excellent organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Preferred:
Experience with tissue-engineered or microphysiological systems
Familiarity with lung epithelial barrier function assays and physiological readouts, air-liquid interface establishment, and mucociliary differentiation
Experience with infection models or hostpathogen interaction studies
Experience with quantitative imaging, molecular assays, or multi-modal data analysis
Interested applicants, please apply through https://www.join.pitt.edu Requisition #26001856
The University of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity employer / disability / veteran.
Assignment Category: Full-time regular
Campus: Pittsburgh
Child Protection Clearances: Not Applicable
Required Attachments: Curriculum Vitae
Optional Attachments: Cover Letter
Assignment Category Full-time regular
PI284505867